Wheeling Police: Man Admits, ‘I’m a Child Molester’

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SPICHER

A Wheeling man turned himself in to police in early January, allegedly admitting to sexually assaulting a young girl over several years back in the early 2000s.

According to reports, Nirguna Spicher, 36, of Eagle Court, Wheeling, went to Wheeling Police Department headquarters on Jan. 3 and told a detective, “I am a child molester. I look up child porn a lot and I’d like to be under arrest.”

However, the case was turned over to Marshall County authorities as the alleged sexual assaults occurred in that county.

West Virginia State Police arrested Spicher after interviewing the alleged victim, who is now an adult. The victim said the sexual abuse began around around 2000-01,when she was about 9 years old, while Spicher also was a juvenile several years older than her. The abuse continued through her middle school years, the alleged victim said. She said her most vivid memories of the abuse were from her sixth grade year when Spicher was approximately 19 years old, when Spicher was home from college. She said Spicher forced her to perform sex acts on him and later wrote her a letter of apology.

According to the complaint, Spicher also said he abused a 5-year-old girl, at which point he advised that he wanted an attorney and stopped speaking.

The West Virginia state trooper handling the case could not be reached for comment immediately.

During his arraignment Monday, Spicher said, in part, “I confess myself. I turn myself in. … I want to be honest and truthful the whole process,” adding that he “love(s)” the alleged victim.

Marshall County Prosecutor Rhonda Wade added that the victim, who still lives in the local area, has been highly cooperative in working with police. She said multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating Spicher’s claim of molesting the 5-year-old.

“We don’t have any further information on that,” Wade said. “We’re looking at maybe some 5-year-olds who were living around her at the time she was molested. She’s looking into that, but really, we don’t even know if that happened in Marshall County.”

Spicher was arrested last Friday and subsequently arraigned in Marshall County Magistrate Court Monday morning. He remains lodged at the Northern Regional Jail on $25,000 bond while awaiting his preliminary hearing at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

He faces a count of first degree sexual abuse, a felony, which carries a possible sentence of five-to-25 years in prison for assaulting a person under 12.